Sally Lancaster is a Devon-based artist who specialises in figurative art. She is largely self-taught, and her paintings focus on movement, muscle, motion and tone.

She recently appeared on the global TV show Colour in your Life, which takes an in-depth look at her paintings and shows Sally at work in her studio. The programme also looks at how artists, in general, manage the ongoing process of selling their work.

One thing that’s made clear in the show is that great painting takes time and patience. So, looking at Sally’s art in a bit more detail, we show you what’s involved when artists go through the creative and artistic process.

Figurative work

Having started her career painting pet portraits, Sally moved on to focus on equestrian art - predominantly studies of racing, dressage and polo horses that were captured in motion to highlight muscle tone and light and shade.

In recent years, however, she has moved away from equine art to focus more on figurative studies, which includes dancers. Again, like horses, the human body enables her to capture motion and form, as well as light and shade.

Curvation by Sally Lancaster

To enhance the figurative form, Sally captures bodies in ‘stretched’ or elongated poses, which really enhances their build and highlights the detail and honed musculature of the subject’s body. Not only that, but the fact that Sally portrays figures mid-movement really makes the viewer want to imagine what they’re going to do next.

In order to capture the movement and muscle of her subjects, Sally holds a photoshoot in a local theatre hall and, through the use of blackout blinds, she puts the space into darkness in order to control the light source and enhance the variations between light and shade.

Sally then directs the model to move into positions and angles that will make for strong and compelling subject matter. Once the shoot is done, she then sorts through the images to create a portfolio, or shortlist, of potential paintings.

The creative process

Once Sally has chosen an image from the shoot, she then gets to work on creating her art. As you can imagine, this much detail doesn’t come out on the canvas overnight, so, on average, her paintings take over a month to produce.

The reason for this is because not only does she have to draw and paint the figure, but also work on the intricacies involved in light and shade, which can be very complex. And there’s a lot more to light and shade than black and white.

In fact, there are many shades, well, in shade. For example, if the subject is placed against a blue backdrop, then these colours will manifest themselves in various tones on the figure or surrounding areas.

To help capture this and help her gauge colours, Sally works alongside a large monitor with the photo of the subject on display. This enables her to zoom in and out of detail and clearly pick-up these tonal shades.

You can see this detail in ‘Fragile Transparency’ where the dancer is shrouded by a veil, so not only does Sally have to capture the dancer’s form, but also the light and shade in the folds of the veil. Trust us, this is not an easy task!

Interiors focus

As is common practice with most artists, Sally looks to exhibit her paintings wherever possible. She currently has her work on display at Lympstone Manor, which is owned by Michelin starred chef, Michael Caines.

A display of Sally Lancaster's work at Lympstone Manor

If you’re thinking of buying one of Sally’s paintings and you’re in the Devon area – or you’re even going to stay at the Manor - then this is a great opportunity to see how her paintings look from an interiors perspective.

As you can see in the photo, the copper tones and creams of the bar area really help make the painting stand out and be a striking focal point in the room. It’s also positioned in a way to make a great talking point while at the bar.

Seeing a painting in real-life, or in situ, can really help with the decision-making process and help you see it from a different perspective as well, so getting to see an artist’s work ‘in the flesh’, or using a room visualiser, can make all the difference.

Price range

With this much detail and skill, Sally’s paintings start from around £2,000 and up into the £5,000 price range. Our premier Artists are carefully selected and are noted for their outstanding work and reputation, so their work is priced accordingly. All Sally’s paintings are sold with frames, which does save on the additional cost of having to go to a framer.

Sally’s reputation is growing year on year, and she is a highly respected and regarded artist. With that in mind, purchasing her work could be viewed as a long-term investment. Not to mention that the subject matter will always be of interest to people and it’s hard to tire of looking at her work.

There are ways you can invest and own one of her paintings, however, such as the Own Art scheme, which can help you make those dream purchases with interest-free monthly instalments.

We are proud to say we are part of the scheme, so if you’re thinking of buying one of Sally’s paintings, then get in contact and let’s see how we can help.

Final note. Calling all male dancers!

Currently, Sally uses a female dancer for her paintings, but she is also keen to focus on figurative studies of the male form. If anybody knows a male dancer that would be happy to pose, then get in contact. They will be captured permanently on canvas and become a work of art, an amazing opportunity!

This year is proving to be an exciting year for interiors. There are such a wide-range of trends to help transform your home and suit every taste. We take a look at some of the top predictions and show you the art you need to make that style pop.

Folk or global style

For fans of tradition, or those who love to see the world and experience different cultures, Folklore and travel have been combined to create a global look. The key colours for this style are Terracotta, muted greens or sage and off-whites, which are offset by patterned textiles and wall hangings.

Image courtesy of Dulux.

From an art perspective, this is all about pattern with a naïve twist. So, paintings that have a folk element, or a global tone to them are perfect for these interiors. This means looking for art that is more simplified and patterns that have a textile feel to them.

Colour pop

As a nation, we’re getting much bolder and confident with colour, and this is being reflected in interiors. In fact, Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2018 is Ultra Violet, which is a vivid purple, and marks the start of a trend in rich pigments, such as yellows, emerald greens, and blues.

Image courtesy of Swoon Editions

Even though we’re getting braver with colour, it is understandable that some people may be a little nervous about using it to cover a space. If so, then art is a great compromise as it allows you to be bold without saturating a room. With that in mind, you could have white or off-white walls and use art to provide that striking colour pop. Abstract art is great for this style, as are landscapes.

Touchy feely textures

Alongside the Global style, texture is becoming more popular and we’re seeing large-weave rugs, carpets, baskets and wicker-style seating and lampshades becoming key interior features. This is no less the case with art as there a wide range of artists bringing texture to their painting with rough brush strokes and layering. This style of art complements the textured interior look well.

Image courtesy of John Lewis

Portraits, abstract and three-dimensional art are styles to consider - or any paintings that use strong textures - when enhancing this look. Especially textured paintings with colour, as woven materials tends to be a neutral tone and can look a bit flat when used too much. Basically, this is a chance to be bold and really make a statement. Mid-Century art is also a great style to go with this look.

Totally tropical

The tropical trend is set to remain popular this year and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. One of the reasons for this is, not only because it can create a warm and relaxing space, but it’s a style that you can have a lot of fun with.

Image courtesy of Dunelm

Whether you want to just use hints of the tropical, by using art and accessories, or go all out with wall colour and house plants, there are no holds barred. As you would expect with this look, greens, reds and yellows are key colours.

Latest art trends

It’s not just interiors that focus on trends, but the art world does as well. Currently, digital art is opening-up a world of opportunities for artists, and, as a result, we’re seeing a fusion of photography, paint and illustration to create mixed media imagery.

Artists are also using digital as an opportunity to be more creative with light studies as well, which has led to colourful and almost surreal images that play with and use technology to their advantage.

Digital is also being used to create painterly paintings that have the feel of a photo negative and is making for really interesting viewing. If you’re someone who is forward thinking and are looking to invest in art of the future, then this digital is certainly marking the way.

Whatever your interiors tastes, we most certainly have the art to match. Not only that, but we have paintings to suit every budget as well. Our budget search buttons mean you can go straight to the images in your price range, to avoid any distractions or lengthy searches. What are you waiting for, go get creative!

Andrew’s paintings are of domestic interiors and humble still lives. They glimpse into a moment of time, where his subjects are often lit with raking sunlight and aim capture a certain atmosphere that combines light, shadow and reflection. The objects are of the everyday life and are made glorious with a new potency of oil paint. Sometimes his art hints an offstage narrative, leaving the opportunity for the viewer to create their own story. The style is figurative and detailed, without being slavishly photoreal.

Andrew graduated with a first in Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Art, in the 1980's. He then trained as a filmmaker and worked in all areas of the film and television business. In 2002 he decided to leave the business to concentrate on his art and has exhibited regularly ever since. He now lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and family.